He's packed so much into the last three years but these weeks are still very special to Conor Murray.

At 24 - he turns 25 later this month - the scrum-half has already played in a World Cup, won a Lions tour and has only recently experienced the thrill of Six Nations success.

But he insists there’s nothing ordinary about returning home to play a Heineken Cup quarter-final.

“It’s still a huge week,” said Murray. “There’s huge pressure involved in it and coming back from the Six Nations there’s probably a little bit more expected of you.

“We’re a young squad and there’s a lot of pressure on the more experienced players and I see myself in that bracket.

“These are really special occasions. It’s not as if I’m coming down and trying to pick myself up.

“This is massive. Heineken Cup is something I grew up with. You know, I didn’t always go up to Dublin to watch the Irish games.

“I grew up around the Heineken Cup and watching Munster play. It’s really special to me so I’ll have no problem getting up for this game.”

To put in context how quickly Murray has established himself as the leading no 9 in the country, he recalls where he was when Munster beat tomorrow’s opponents Toulouse in the Heineken Cup final in Cardiff.

While it seemed the whole of Limerick was crammed into O’Connell Street to watch the game on the big screen, Murray’s nerves were shredding at home.

“I remember it as clear as day,” smiled Murray.

“ I was at home in Patrickswell watching with the lads. I think we were going out in the garden then and playing rugby at half time just to pretend we there.

It proved the last great high point in Europe for Munster until this time last year, when Rob Penney’s men went to the Stoop and were deserving winners over fancied Harlequins.

Twelve months on it’s a different scenario that the Reds must deal with.

Although they are playing one of the great European clubs, Munster are at home and Murray acknowledges that brings another kind of challenge.

“There’s a certain level of pressure that goes with a quarter-final anyway,” he remarked.

“We felt that last year as a group of younger players, and a few young players spoke that day before the Harlequins game - we spoke about it being our time now.

“We still have a few experienced lads in the team that are leading really well but we’ve got to take hold of this and own this team ourselves - and I think we’re doing that.

“So yeah, there’s going to be more pressure because it’s a home quarter-final and there’s so much expected of you in front of your home crowd.

“I think the young lads in the squad now understand that and have experience of that and won’t fear it.”

British and Irish Lions player Conor Murray (front) scores a try (Image: Reuters)

Murray added: “I think over the last couple of years my knowledge of the game has improved but I know pretty much what is required to win a game, what we need to do well and where we need to play.

“So I think it’s just an experience thing that I’ve gained over the last few years that will help me going into this week but in saying that it’s still a huge week, the atmosphere and the pressure involved. “

Murray can sense the atmosphere building for Toulouse’s first ever visit to Thomond Park.

In the past the ground was a feared fortress but it isn’t quite at that level anymore.

But Murray believes a fast start by the Reds can turn the home crowd into a force in their favour.

“It’s a big part of our game,” he stated.

“We’ve got to start really, really well and give them something to cheer about and that’s going to come from the first 10 or 20 minutes.

“ If we play well, they’re going to feed off that. Once they get going, they create a special atmosphere.

“They might help you to get off the ground that half second quicker and get into the defensive line or run to that ruck that little bit quicker.

“ We’ve got to make sure we start that and we create that atmosphere.

“If we come out early and something goes wrong, the crowd might get a little bit panicky or worried and the atmosphere might fade and Toulouse might feed off that and sense that.

“We have the responsibility to start well and make sure the crowd will row in behind us.”